Students are heading back to classrooms this week across Saskatchewan, although the same can’t be said for other provinces including Alberta and Ontario which have elected to a later return to in-person learning or remote learning due to a rise in COVID-19 infections primarily driven by the Omicron variant.

Rob Westfield, an education support worker and chairperson of the CUPE Saskatchewan Education Workers’ Steering Committee says they want to see students seated in their desks but to do so in a safe manner.

A switch back to online and remote learning is one of the things Westfield says they would like to see.

“Well that’s what the rest of country is doing. They’re delaying the start or they’re going to online learning, right. So obviously there is concern and for us as well that the province decided to not report the New Year’s weekend is concerning as well because we don’t know what the numbers are in Saskatchewan.”

Saskatchewan ended up reporting 1,954 cases over the New Year’s weekend. Confirmed Omicron cases stayed the same at 117, although the probable cases rose to 1,192.

Westfield also said “What does the rest of the country know that the Saskatchewan government doesn’t” when asked about seeing other provinces that are taking measures when it comes to schools.

Both the University of Saskatchewan and the University of Regina pushed back their start dates for the winter term and will begin with remote learning starting on the 10th.

The Saskatchewan Teachers’ Federation is also concerned with in-person learning moving ahead with no gathering restrictions in place and the potential for staff shortages.